Tag Archives: Presidential Election

Donald Trump has already repudiated Trump Revealed: An American Journey of Ambition, Ego, Money, and Power, a book by Washington Post reporters, Michael Kranish and Marc Fisher.

Kranish and Fisher have culled dozens of articles from Post reporters and others, as well as spent 20 interview hours with Trump to create this unauthorized biography. The book begins with his 2008 travel to Scotland to visit the house in which his mother grew up. He went inside and spent a total of 97 seconds.

Trump Revealed also provides vignettes of his childhood exploits. A next door neighbor tells the story of how she briefly left her toddler in the yard, and returned to find a six year old Trump throwing rocks at her baby.

Trump himself recounts a story about how he punched a teacher, and gave him a black eye. On the teacher’s deathbed in a hospice he heard that Trump was considering running for President and said, “When that kid was ten, even then he was a little shit.”

Surprisingly, Trump describes himself as “aggressive.” When he was growing up, Westside Story was a Broadway hit. He and his friend liked to pretend they were gang members mimicking the play, and they begin to buy knives. “At first the knives they used were six inches long, but they graduated to eleven-inch blades as they became more daring.” Soon after this event, Trump was sent to military boarding school.

Even though, we’ve heard some of these stories, and facts and figures many times in the last few months, Kranish and Fisher’s prose in Trump Revealed is chockfull of illustrative images and is, at times, powerful. The recounting of his childhood escapades, the string of his disastrous business failings and unpaid bills, as well as his propensity for lawsuits, might be enough to make some supporters change their minds.

However, since there’s very little written about Trump’s family, there’s an obvious lack of transparency about his life. Most of the stories in the press are the fodder of the family drama, or ones he manufactured. It makes the line between real and deception murky. When people try to dig in, he’s a master at distracting those who believe in him. He won’t disclose his tax returns. No one seems to remember him at Wharton.

As pointed out in the book, despite his countless insults, his financial instability, that most of the Republican Party has rejected him, defense experts have called him a threat to national security, that most of his business endeavors have fizzled, and his understanding of foreign policy and the global economy is non-existent, people still bask in his shadow, blindly, and follow him like the Pied Piper.

It’s clear Trump has a talent for picking a mark. His attitude is obviously all’s fair in business and politics. This time, as the Republican Presidential Candidate, he’s going for the high stakes and making his mark America. Let’s hope he fails at this as well.

It’s always been challenging for women to excel, but it’s particularly difficult to be a Superwoman in the United States in 2016.

Some Americans are being merciless about keeping a lady from leading the country. What are they afraid of? Change? There have been women leaders all around the world, but for the United States, which continues to hold onto the traditional roles, a woman in the White House would mean a change in the social fabric.

Despite the backlash, Hillary Clinton still rises above it all.

For Clinton, her ascent to the Oval Office is a path she’s been carving her whole life, a natural progression of a life-long dedication to public service.

She didn’t stop at First Lady. For most, that role is enough of an achievement. It’s an endorsement to give speeches and write books that will keep you financially set for a lifetime.

On the contrary, Clinton didn’t see herself spending days at book signings, philanthropic events, the occasional parade and ribbon cutting, and speaking to groups of people. Instead, she still rises. She wrote a book, ran for senator of New York and won. Then became Secretary of State.

No doubt if she becomes president, after she leaves office, she will carry on, serving the U.S. in some function. Great leaders like her never rest.

However, there are people bent on stopping her in whatever way they can, by creating chaos.

It would seem that her Republican opponent’s rhetoric from the inception of his campaign has incited the cavalcade of violence that has ensued since June 16, 2015, when he declared his candidacy for President of the United States.

Yet, he continues to point his finger at Clinton as the fault for all the ills of the world. It’s easy to blame someone else for the civil and global unrest, and particularly a woman, when many of your followers are people whose views of the world have remained unchanged for decades.

Yet, Clinton still rises above, and doesn’t blame anyone, for all of her challenger’s and the Republican Party’s unfounded accusations.

The Republican Party continues to mention her email, and has persisted in criticizing her for using a personal server, when many people in the Bush administration did the same. Yet, very little was ever said about it.

She doesn’t blame anyone for the baseless complaints about the Benghazi attacks. Recently, Trey Gowdy, a Republican Leader, admitted altering documents. He said “It was the Republican Party’s year-long investigation into Hillary Clinton’s handling of Benghazi and email that has been nothing more than an attempt at influencing her poll numbers in the 2016 election.”

She doesn’t blame anyone for her contender’s groundless claim that she is a co-founder of ISIS. Although, it was actually George W. Bush who signed the agreement to leave Iraq by 2011.

She doesn’t blame anyone for the barrage of superfluous and unwarranted insults and allegations.

She rises above it all.

One thing is certain, unlike the Republican candidate for President, she isn’t overly critical of the country where she grew up, which gave her opportunities to achieve. She rises, because that’s what great leaders do. They look at the path in front of them. Despite all the obstacles set by others, they climb, carry the weight of all their followers, and together they rise.

Why is the candidate running for President? Do they have a history of public service? Do they really have America’s best interest in mind?

Polls/Surveys – Is It Gallup or Undefined

When you hear a percentage mentioned, whether it’s by a candidate, a news station, a publication or blog, make sure it’s attached to a legitimate poll and defines the cross-section of people questioned. Polls can be skewed to validate a person’s viewpoint. If you poll 20 of your friends, they will say you’re a great person. What happens if you poll exes, are they going to give you the same review?

TV Stations Have Political Leanings

A TV Stations news and the programs they broadcast host people who support their views. They will also poll people who back their opinions. Keep this in mind as you watch TV and as you read articles about the elections. If it mentions a specific TV station survey, again, is it official or slanted?

Make Sure To Fact-Check

Politicians will exaggerate. As everyone knows, America’s first amendment is freedom of speech. Sometimes candidates will propagate fabrications about other candidates with negative advertising. Remember, just because the targeted politician ignores it, doesn’t make them guilty. Also, just because something negative is repeated and reiterated and repeated again does not make it true.

Bullies Do Not Make Good Presidents

Theodore Roosevelt’s expression, “Walk softly and carry a big stick” are words to strongly consider. The loudest person in the room may get the most attention, but this may actually mean that they are the weakest candidate. What candidates have diplomacy and executive qualities? Think about the last 30 years of US Leaders. Who brought America up and who brought America down? Then draw your own conclusions.

Intelligent Candidate or Not

It’s true anyone can be President in America, if you’re at least 35 years old and a natural born US citizen. No one ever says it, but in order to be President, you must be intelligent. As the election approaches, think about the smart Presidents and the not-so-smart ones. Who did the better job?

Big Picture vs. Extreme Thinking

A President cannot have extreme views. The old cliché applies here: Are they part of the solution/the present and the future or are they part of the problem/stuck in the past?

Track Record, Track Record, Track Record

Just because a candidate makes a promise doesn’t mean they will keep it. Who has followed through in the past and helped make the United States and the world a better place and who has not?

House of Representatives And The Senate

Keeping election promises also depends on The Congress and The Senate. These offices are very important. A candidate may make election declarations, but will the Senate and House pass bills, or will they (for political reasons) just block a President who belongs to the opposite party?

Religion Belongs in the Place of Worship

Separation of Church and State. If you want to be Christian or Catholic or Jewish or Muslim or Buddhist or Lutheran or 100’s of other religions, then be them, but candidates should not interject their religious beliefs into the government.

Are you registered? Contact your local election board if you need to register or if you’ve moved since the last time you voted. Do vote in the mid-term elections. You can affect the future of your country. Your vote does matter. And for young voters or just young at heart, here are 10 Reasons why you should vote.

The 2016 presidential election has ignited a lot of racial tension. Donald Trump and his followers have brought xenophobia and intolerance into the limelight. It’s both a relief and exciting to see powerful people from the Democratic and Republican parties uniting against someone whose behavior is divisive.

We are getting a glimmer of what the world is like when groups work together. Things get done. Perhaps, world peace is possible. We still have a lot of work to do, however, because the tolerance of intolerance still exists in many settings.

The first time I experienced racism was when I was six years old. I grew up in the Midwest, amongst conservatives.

When I went to elementary school, it was the initial years of desegregation. One day I came home from the first grade, and told my mother and best friend that I had made a new friend named Reginald Jones. My friend, who was only a year older than me, started calling him derogatory names I’d never heard before. The next morning, my mother called the principal, and then told me to stay away from him.

I argued with both of them. I couldn’t understand why he and I couldn’t be friends. I did, however, wonder what was wrong with my mother and my childhood friend.

The next day, my supposed best friend quit hanging around with me, and persuaded other children in the neighborhood to stop playing with me. They also started calling me lots of names.

In social situations, I speak up whenever I hear people being prejudice. I call it as I see it. It’s just the way I am.

I don’t feel comfortable speaking up at work though. For the last several years, I’ve worked in contract positions for numerous companies in New York City. Donald Trump and his followers are not the only ones spewing vile, hate speech.

I continue to be surprised that office bigotry is alive and well, and comes in all shapes, sizes and colors, and no one seems to take a stand against it. I’ve seen people at all levels overlook inappropriate comments.

The EEOC has laws to protect everyone, but companies don’t uphold these standards. Many times, the person who complains about the discriminatory behavior is labeled a troublemaker, and is eventually terminated, no matter how offensive the statement, and even when others confirm it.

Some of the comments I’ve heard in workplaces are below:

“All Americans are racist.”

“That lazy Chicano thing is true.”

“She gets special treatment, because she’s black. If I did the same thing, they’d fire me.”

“Did you know he was from Iran? So you never know.”

“That German guy sounds like a Nazi.”

“I don’t want to talk to her. She’s old.”

“I need to hire a white man. This team looks like the ghetto.”

“He’s a god damn Jew who stresses over every penny.”

“I can’t tell if a white girl’s hair is dirty.”

“I didn’t expect someone as attractive as you to be so smart.”

“He’s a faggot freak show.”

“I don’t like to hire black people. They’re hard to fire, even when they don’t perform well. They sue.”

I am getting angry at the fact that I can’t speak up at work. I’m sure others feel the same way. I keep reminding myself that I’m not the one with the problem. But maybe I am, because I don’t speak up.

What am I supposed to do? What are we all supposed to do?

I don’t understand why we don’t celebrate our similarities. No matter if you’re black, white, Middle Eastern, Latino, European, Asian, Indian, American Indian, or any of the other hundreds of ethnicities in the world, we are more alike than different.

I don’t understand why someone doesn’t like someone just because of the color of their skin, or because they celebrate a certain holiday, or because they choose a certain lifestyle. I believe we should all be able to live the way we want, as long as were not harming others or ourselves.

There are lots of people who are discriminated against.

I’ll say it again. People come in all shapes and sizes and colors and so does racism.

One thing is certain. I am not letting anyone drag me into their dogmatic way of thinking. I will not let the bigots and extremists indoctrinate me into their myopia.

While Hillary Clinton continues to run a sincere presidential campaign, Donald Trump has turned the election into a mockery and impugned a sacred event.

Many Americans caught up in Trump’s master media manipulation have forgotten that the government is not Hollywood, and you can’t lead a country like a blockbuster movie character, or a reality TV show host. As it stands, the requirements to become President of the United States only ask that you be 35 years of age, a natural born citizen to at least one parent, and have lived in the U.S. for a minimum of 14 years.

This doesn’t seem in-depth enough for a person who will have a national security clearance, meet with world leaders and effect the future of the U.S and the globe.

In 1776, when the constitution was written, there were no nuclear weapons, maneuvering trade and economic agreements was more straightforward, technology as we know it was non-existent, and deals could be made with the exchange of food and basic goods.

What once worked when the country was young, 250 years ago, doesn’t seem like it will anymore. The world is more complicated than it used to be.

This begs the question of whether the eligibility requirements of who can run for President of the United States need updating to include relevant levels of work and educational experience.

Here are some ideas for possible requirements:

Has dedicated at least 10 years of their lives to serving the country in some political office, including governor, senator, representative, cabinet member, government official and veteran

Pass an in-person exam that includes information about current laws, history of the U.S., foreign policy, the economy, and a 1000 word essay as to why they want to be president

Credit and background check

Share taxes from the last ten years

Physical, mental health exam and drug testing

Americans have the right to know who they are electing to lead their country. The office of President of the United States should be a call to duty, not a call to notoriety.

It’s true. You can’t help who you’re attracted to or who you fall in love with, but you can help who you vote for on Tuesday, November 8, 2016 for President of the United States.

Social media is full of haters for all the candidates. There has been nothing that is off limits during this campaign. People have slandered them, and made rude comments that should have been left behind on childhood playgrounds.

“If you tell a lie often enough, people will believe it.” This has been proven in this election in particular. One thing is certain: voters should always question the statements made by other candidates and media organizations. Google and Factcheck.org are great sources to verify accuracy.

Candidates have been compared to clowns and Irish leprechauns. They have been called fat and stupid. Below are a few of the comments about nominees and their spouses.

Donald Trump has been called Hitler and likened to Werner Klemperer’s character Colonel Klink from the 1965-71 CBS TV show “Hogan’s Heroes.” He’s been termed the Joker, because of his ever-changing hair color, and Mr. Comb Over.

Hillary has been called old and manly. One person tweeted that she wouldn’t vote for her, because she’s ugly. Still others find her beautiful and elegant.

No one has mentioned Bill’s looks, but everyone is aware of his mistakes in the past and they have been brought up a time or two.

The truth is: appearances have nothing to do with a candidate’s qualifications and whether or not she can run a country.

It’s no secret that Hillary is the most dedicated and qualified candidate. However, if it is looks that matter to you here are some pictures of both older and younger versions of the candidates.

You decide who is the most presidential.

President Bill Clinton and first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton sit with Mario Hood, 12, student body president of the William Jefferson Clinton Elementary Magnet School in Sherwood, Ark., Jan. 4, 1995. Clinton was introduced by the 6th grade student at dedication ceremonies at the school which opened in August 1994. (AP Photo/Greg Gibson)

Hillary Clinton, John Kasich, Bernie Sanders, Donald Trump and Ted Cruz have been traveling across the U.S. since super Tuesday, waving their credentials and debating with each other.

In the last few weeks, candidates have met their fans and supporters at rallies, town halls, fundraisers and meet and greets all across the state of New York.

Tomorrow’s primary is an historical event and could be pivotal for both Democrat and Republican candidates as they vie for the state of New York’s delegates. The remaining primaries and caucuses across the country, which last through the beginning of June are consequential.

Here are five reasons why you need to get out and vote in the primaries, and in the general election in November:

Important To Vote

Don’t like any of the candidates? Vote for the one you least despise. It’s better than having the one you dislike the most win. Whoever wins has the power to effect your life.

The president and other government officials (county commissioners, governor, state treasurer, legislators and Congress) you vote for will decide how to spend your money. Candidates give money to causes you care about: youth programs, the environment, HIV/AIDS, cancer research and others.

If you don’t vote, someone else will. It will influence how decisions are made on matters like pay equity, fairness in hiring, and workplace safety; environmental concerns – the air, the land, and water; crime prevention – laws and law enforcement; safe and affordable homes; traffic patterns; schools, parks and recreation.

The Future

It affects the future. What happens today reverberates down the road. If the economy goes into a recession, it will take decades to rebuild.

History

14th Amendment– All persons born within the U.S. are citizens and guaranteed rights and privileges (1868)

15th Amendment– No citizen denied the right to vote based on race, color, or previous condition of servitude (1870)

19th Amendment No citizen shall be abridged of their right to vote based on sex.

(1920)

24th Amendment – No poll tax is allowed or failure to pay any other tax shall prevent a person from voting (1964)

26th Amendment – All persons 18 or older shall not be abridged of their right to vote (1971)

Voting Rights Act of 1965 –Applied a nationwide prohibition against the denial or abridgment of the right to vote on the literacy tests on a nationwide basis.

To help you make your decision please follow the link to each candidates website.